And a Sixpence in her Shoe
by TrivialQueen
Summary: "How Blue is Blue?" He asked seriously. Originally Something Borrowed.   Five looks at the wedding of Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler's daughter. Future fic, children.
1. Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed

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><p>Disclaimer: I may *be* Sheldon Cooper but I do not *own* Sheldon Cooper, or anything else for that matter.<p>

Summary: "A tiara?" Daughter looked at mother, circlet of crystals in her hand. "Your powers of observation are astounding." One-shot, future fic, children.

Useful Background: In my head I have a full length story about Amy and Sheldon having a child together. It is started but not remotely complete. In short, I plan that there will be two Shamy _Homo sapiens novus_ – Rosalind Jane Fowler-Cooper, named after Rosalind Franklin who helped discover the structure of DNA, and Robert Stephen Fowler-Cooper named after J. Robert Oppenheimer and Stephen Hawkins.

_Author's Note: This scene is one that has been nagging me like a loose thread in my collar for some time. It's not so much a fluff moment as it is both a prediction on my part as to what life is like in the future for the scientists and a commentary about relationships between partners and parents. I hope it is reasonably in character although the situation is not._

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><p>*Knock, knock, knock* "Rosalind."<p>

*Knock, knock, knock* "Rosalind."

For a moment Rosalind contemplated not allowing her mother into the apartment. She thought about pretending she was not home. Ultimately however, she decided against the rouse. The longer the door was closed, the longer the knocking would continue, and it would be followed by calling, and that would culminate in a larger headache than she currently had. So at the third round of knocking Rosalind crossed her small living room, mumbling;

"Who's annoyed?"

"Rosalind." With a heavy sigh she opened the door.

"Yes, Mother?" From behind her thick frames Amy Farrah Fowler blinked at her daughter's tone.

"Most young women about to spend an excessive amount of money on a dress they will only wear once are excited to see their mother. They wish to share the experience of trying on gowns thousands of other women have worn; sometimes they even invite their fathers." She observed. "May I come in?"

Wordlessly Rosalind stepped back, allowing the distinguished neurobiologist into her flat, silently debating which observation to present first: The fact that just because a television program was billed as 'Reality TV' did not make the show a documentary; or the fact that her mother had little personal knowledge of the dynamic between mother and child in the event of a wedding. What knowledge she had was contradictory at best. Aunt Penny and her mother had been very amicable in planning the actress' nuptials, but if stories were to be believed, the same thing was far from true regarding Aunt Bernadette and her mother.

In the end Rosalind concluded both statements would result in yet another argument, and so she rejected both remarks and asked instead:

"Where are Aunt Penny and Aunt Bernie? I did not un-invite _them_." Amy did not look up as she absently adjusted the framed pictures atop Rosalind's piano so they were perfectly parallel to one another, her hand lingering on Rosalind's engagement photo.

"I asked them to meet you at the salon. I wish to speak with you and clear up some things you misunderstood your father and me to be saying last night."

"I have a superior understanding of five languages, Mother; I think I understood you and Dad perfectly." Amy's gaze lifted from the photographs to meet her daughter's squarely - this was her little girl; the baby she had wanted so badly and tried so hard for. She was now a grown woman. A beautiful, accomplished _Homo sapiens novus. _

"Yes, well, even geniuses have breakdowns in communication, Rosalind, and I would like to apologize for your father's and my part in that failure. To that end, I have something we would like you to wear on your wedding day. That is if you would like to, it is your choice, as you pointed out less than eloquently last night you have been a legal adult for the last eight years which entitles you to make your own decisions." Rosalind examined the silver bag her mother handed her. It was worn with age and smelled vaguely of closet, cigarette smoke, and primate. Inside the small jewelry store sack, wrapped carefully in tissue paper was,

"A tiara?" Daughter looked at mother, circlet of crystals in her hand.

"Your powers of observation are astounding."

"I will rephrase my question then, why did you give me a tiara?" Amy sat on the sofa, directly in the center and patted the cushion to her right. For as long as Rosalind could remember this was her mother's spot. As they faced the television her father always sat to the left, mom was directly next to him, she was next to her, and Bertie was on the other end. In nearly thirty years there had been little to no variation in the arrangement.

"Your father gave me that tiara when we were first dating, after our second fight of significance. I had been angry with him because I felt your father had not been appropriately proud of one of my professional accomplishments. Penny sought to end our disagreement by dragging your father to a jewelry store. He bought me this tiara as an apology gift." For a moment Amy simply stared at the shiny trinket in her daughter's hand, the smile on her face alluding to a memory Rosalind wasn't entirely sure she wished to hear about. The twinkling passed and mother's eyes were serious as they met her daughter's.

"I kept this tiara because well, let's be honest I'm a princess. But also because it reminds me of a step in my relationship with your father. He realized that while my work is not of interest to him, it is very important to me and because I am of value to him he has to care a little about my work and successes- and vice versa. I could care less about the theorem that won your father the Nobel Prize but there was no prouder woman in the entire room when he won. Your father and I love you very much Rosalind. We want the best for you and we want you to be happy. We might not always agree with the choices you have made, your decisions are not always the ones we would have decided – a career in music over mathematics, your engagement to a _historian_. However you are right - you are in charge of your own life."

Amy took the tiara and carefully placed it on her daughter's head. Centering it just so on Rosalind's dark crown before allowing her hands to drop down and cradle her cheeks.

"Even though we have disagreed in the past your Father and I want you to know that we love you, and we respect you and that we are so very, very _proud _of you."

Gently Amy wiped the tears that escaped Rosalind's eyes away with the pads of her thumbs. She kissed her daughter's brown and pulled her into a hug. For a long moment both women were silent.

"Thank you for the tiara Mom." Rosalind said softly into Amy's shoulder.

"Don't get too attached to it, after the wedding I get it back."

"Seriously?"

"I'm a Princess and that is my tiara."

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><p><em>Author's Note, the Second: I would like to expand a little bit on Rosalind having a musical career. I picture the adult female Fowler-Cooper child being a pianist and composer. Her PhD, however, is in abstract algebra and musical set theory. There is a strong connection between music and math. I latched on to the idea that something so Humanities and Arts based could be introduced into the Fowler-Cooper household through something they know and understand - namely their daughter and math. Art versus science is also an excellent growing experience for Sheldon Cooper, et al. <em>


	2. Something New

Something New

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><p>Disclaimer: I may *be* Sheldon Cooper but I do not *own* Sheldon Cooper, or anything else for that matter.<p>

Summary: "I think you best call your father now … last night I invoked the cuddle clause of our own relationship agreement, and you know how that makes him." Continuation of Something Borrowed.

Useful Background: Please see "Something Borrowed".

_Author's Note: This scene was born out of the reviews from "Something Borrowed". Having other people read the work helped me see some areas that I needed to address. In particular Rosalind came off as a bit harsh. She is the child of Shamy – the couple that broke up over an argument over whose field was superior - so I am not claiming she is perfect, but I felt that she needed to show some growth._

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><p>"Mom?" Rosalind began after another long pause, untangling herself from her mother's embrace. She studied her mother's face with deep sincerity. Amy could see so much of Sheldon in the expression it was eerie.<p>

"Yes, Kitten?"

"Scott believes I hurt you and Dad with my outburst last night." Another pause. "I believe he is correct and that I owe you, Dad, Uncle Leonard, and Aunt Penny an apology."

"Yes you did, Rosalind, and yes you do." Rosalind dropped her head sheepishly; gazing at her hands as they nervously fingered the hem of her graphic tee shirt. No one in the Fowler-Cooper household seemed to be good with apologies. Rosalind had inherited more than her fair share of stubbornness from her parents, Amy mused. She could hear her daughter formulating her thoughts; see the metaphorical gears in her head working.

"Mom, I would very much like for you to come with me as I pick out my wedding dress. I spoke out of turn and without thinking last night when I said that I did not want you involved in the wedding if you did not support my choice of partner. I very much want you and Dad to be a part of my wedding – from the ceremony to the planning because I value your opinion and your taste. You have never steered me wrong in the context of dresses, and while I love your besties as if they were my biological family I would be lost without your guidance. Please come to the appointment today and help me choose from dresses that have never been washed despite the thousands of women who have worn them."

Amy reached out and squeezed her daughter's hand, fingers trembling slightly. She was glad Sheldon had decided to remain at home; both of his women crying would put him even farther over the edge than he was already.

"I would love to come, Kitten."

"But wait, there's more." Rosalind joked weakly. "I must also apologize for how irresponsibly I handled your inquiries. I still believe some of them were baseless but I should have conducted my defense in a more logical, less emotional manner." Amy raised a brow; this was a complete about-face from last night.

"Indeed."

"Indeed. Scott and I had a serious conversation on the drive home last night. And by conversation I mean that Scott gave me a lecture and agreed with you and Dad. He pointed out that the majority of your comments, in particular your earlier inquiries, were not intended to be critical but were to clarify. He speaks only one language fluently but I must say he caught some obvious nuances I neglected until your apology."

"Oh?" Amy had lost her daughter's thread of logic for the moment. Though she was secretly impressed that F. Scott Englert, _Historian_, could keep up with what was for the most part an argument conducted in technical, scientific terms. Though, she concluded, sentiment was the playground of the humanities.

"He told me that you two simply didn't get it. The logic behind my decisions was lost on you. The questions were born out of love and that you simply were compelled to verify against your own set of diagnostic questions that I was happy. He concluded that you didn't doubt my ability to make my own choices, but could not wrap your minds around a beliefs structure that was no longer congruent to your own."

"How does someone so wise wind up with a degree in history?" Rosalind laughed.

"You see – he presents a challenge to your world view."

"In the future your father and I will give your fiancé more of a chance."

"Thank you, mother. And in the future I will endeavor to remember that you and Dad love and support me vis-à-vis the Parent-Child agreement. " Amy nodded, giving her daughter her 'mothering smile'.

"I think you best call your father now; he is anxious for our disagreement to be resolved as last night I invoked the cuddle clause of our own relationship agreement, and you know how that makes him."


	3. Something Old

Something Old

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><p>Disclaimer: I may *be* Sheldon Cooper but I do not *own* Sheldon Cooper, or anything else for that matter.<p>

Summary: "…And no one involved adopted twenty five cats so you needn't beat yourself up about it." Continuation of Something Borrowed.

_Author's Note: A little but on Leonard's family, it seems only fair I explain them as much as I explained Sheldon's. Yes, Penny and Leonard get married. I'm sorry, I just had to, they also have two children. The oldest, Jack, was born two years after Rosalind, he is a playwright - drawing on the experiences of his parents and their friends. Emily is two years younger than Jack, she is working on a PhD in Anthropology and Art, specifically totems of the Northwest Coast, thus she is attending the University of Washington. Penny eventually quits working at the Cheesecake Factory and has a few parts in plays and also works as the house manager for the CalTech theater._

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><p>Leonard Hofstadter teasingly dangled the ten dollar bill in front of his daughter, snatching it out of her reach a few times before handing it over and sweeping his favorite niece up into his arms for the traditional "Dollar Dance". Emily rolled her eyes at her father's antics and for once it made him happy. There were so many things going on in this moment that it was nice to have one constant, even if it was his ability to annoy his daughter. His own little girl was now twenty five and a PhD student in Anthropology at the University of Washington. She looked every inch the woman in her royal blue bridesmaid dress. What was causing him cognitive distress however was not how mature his own child looked but how beautiful Sheldon's daughter was. Rosalind Fowler – Cooper was positively radiant in her lace wedding dress, tiara and veil. Rosalind Fowler – Cooper was a bride, she was a wife. Married. Sheldon's daughter was married. It had taken Leonard over twenty years to get over the fact Sheldon Lee Cooper had a daughter and now she was married. It wasn't even that he felt old thinking about this fact, it was that he felt weird. No one. No. One. Thought Sheldon Cooper would have children, let alone two, let alone one that would get married.<p>

"Congratulations Ros." Leonard said warmly, he really was happy for Rosalind, even if this all as weirding him out.

"Thank you Uncle Leonard. And thank you again for helping set all of this happen, I don't think this could have happened without you."

"It was the least I could do."

"False, the least you could have done was to have washed your hands of the wedding and me after the great wedding dress meltdown." Leonard laughed out loud. He couldn't help himself. And he could only laugh longer as Rosalind gave him one of her father's looks – a mix of confusion and contempt for whatever amused him that she didn't quite understand.

"You forget that I have known your father for a very long time – we used to be roommates. Rosalind, if I were to wash my hands of things after a little tiff I would have given up on your dad a long time ago. It wasn't the worst argument I've ever witnessed."

"I uninvited my own mother from going with me to pick out my wedding dress."

"Even with that the fight barely cracked the top ten in terms of epic meltdowns I've seen over the years. You re-invited her, didn't you? And no one involved adopted twenty five cats so you needn't beat yourself up about it."

"I'm still really sorry about that." Out of the corner of his eye Leonard caught sight of the parents in question. Sheldon, dressed in a smart tuxedo after Penny threatened him with bodily harm, was speaking with Amy. He was stooped slightly, leaning close to hear her over the music, his large hand resting lightly on her waist. How far they had come since that first cup of tepid tap water. They were hardly your typical couple but they were doing an excellent impersonation of it as mother and father of the bride. Leonard watched as his best friend nodded in agreement with whatever Amy had said and then leaned forward and kissed his partner's temple quickly before turning to do whatever it was they had been discussing.

"Rosalind, I want you to do me a favor."

"Sure, Uncle Leonard, what can I do?" Leonard looked up into Rosalind's face. She had Sheldon's figure but Amy's eyes. She was a near perfect blend of her parents in both personality and physicality.

"I need you to remember something. Your parents love each other deeply and they love you twice as much. You don't always have to agree with them but I want you to remember that they love you and that just because you disagree doesn't mean you can't learn something from them." Rosalind nodded.

"I will try to keep that in mind for the future." Leonard smiled and said with great affection,

"You're a smart girl, you'll figure it out." He kissed her cheek. "Congratulations Ros, we're all very proud of you."


	4. Something Blue

Something Blue

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><p>Disclaimer: I may *be* Sheldon Cooper but I do not *own* Sheldon Cooper, or anything else for that matter.<p>

Summary: "Exactly how blue is blue?" He asked seriously. Continuation of Something Borrowed.

_Author's Note: This is a flash back… sorta. This scene takes place around February 2013._

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><p>He saved the document he was working on before turning his full attention to the cellular device vibrating in his pants pocket.<p>

"Sheldon Cooper speaking." He said smartly.

"Sheldon, Amy." The number on his caller ID confirmed that Amy Farrah Fowler Mobile was indeed the number that was contacting him; however the tone of her voice momentarily confused him. Her pitch was higher than usual and her voice was breathy and rapid. The physicist sat a little straighter in his chair, the past few days Amy had been lethargic, nauseous, and prone to headaches, this change in her speech had him concerned the symptoms had worsened. He was concerned for her well-being, and also that his role as 'the boyfriend' would result in his contracting whatever she had.

"Are you alright Amy? Do you need me to get you something? Should I call Penny and see if she is available to take care of you?"

"No, thank you Sheldon, I am fine. In fact I have run a few tests and identified the cause of my intestinal distress, lethargic feelings, and migraines."

"Oh, and what is your conclusion?" Sheldon relaxed a little, but only a little, if she had a simple stomach virus she would not call him at work. She might text him to say that she was in quarantine, but not actually call during the workday. The diagnosis must therefore be more serious than a simple 'flu bug'.

"After charting my symptoms and consulting my calendar I discovered that my menstrual cycle is now ten days late."

"And…?"

"There are five major bands of home pregnancy tests; I purchased three of each kind to ensure the results were repeatable and the experiment sound. Then I consumed approximately 1.89 liters of Cranberry-Pomegranate juice and peed on fifteen little sticks." Sheldon felt his hand tighten on his phone.

"And…?"

"The overwhelming consensus is blue. I am pregnant." Her answer was rushed with excitement but still perfectly enunciated. Sheldon felt his entire body tingle. She was with child – his child. Nearly three quarters of a year's work was coming to fruition. In ten months he and Amy Farrah Fowler would be the proud parents of a little _Homo sapiens novus_. A broad, true smile split his face but he quickly regained focus.

"Exactly how blue is blue?" He asked seriously. They had thought she had been pregnant before and been bitterly disappointed, he did not know if he could handle another false hope.

"SHELDON LEE COOPER THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LITTLE BIT PREGNANT! BLUE IS BLUE AND BLUE IS POSITIVE!" She exclaimed into the phone. Sheldon pulled the receiver away from his ear and could still hear her ranting about 'shades of blue' and 'fifteen positive tests'. At the commotion Raj looked up from his desk, giving his officemate and inquiring look. Sheldon waved him off brusquely.

"Amy. Amy! AMY!" He finally got her attention. "I do not doubt your methodology at all, I am just so… This is wonderful news Amy. I don't know how to handle my elation." This was a type of happy Sheldon Lee Cooper had never experienced in his life. It eclipsed new comic books, his mother's cooking, even his MeeMaw. It was the zenith of emotion.

"I felt the same way when I read the first five tests. I still cannot believe it. I am going to go to the doctor tomorrow for the official results."

"Would you like me to accompany you?"

"If you would like although I do not believe it will be necessary, from what I understand from the literature there will be nothing to see or hear for another month or so."

"I defer to your judgment." He said, he noticed his hand not holding the phone was shaking from pure emotional excess.

"I will go to this appointment alone but subsequent checkups I would like you with me. Now I also understand from my research that my condition is particularly delicate until about the fourteenth week. Science forbid something happen to our child, but until I am certain this little bundle of cells is safe, please refrain from spreading the joyous news."

"As you wish."

"Thank you Sheldon. And thank you for giving me this child."

"Amy," Sheldon said softly, with a combination of emotion and desire to keep Raj from overhearing, "you were not the only one who desired this; I too wanted this event to occur." It was true. What had begun as a quest for the future of humanity turned into a quest to make Amy Farrah Fowler happy and had ended with his own emotional investment in the cause. He wanted this child as much as Amy did. He had never once imagined himself in this position, but now that fatherhood was starring him in the face he could think of no other place he would rather be.

"I love you."

"I love you too and I will see you tonight." The new father-to-be hung up and closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the joy overtake him.

"What was all that about?" Raj asked ending his moment of awe. Sheldon turned to address the Indian astrophysicist. He desperately wanted to spread the news, to crow with pride throughout the entire lab that he, Sheldon Lee Cooper, was going to have a child. He refrained, out of deference to Amy's wishes and instead replied,

"Amy wants to try a new restaurant for date night."


End file.
